Combined latch and handle



Dec. 17, 1968 s. KRAMER ET AL COMBINED LATCH AND HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed NOV. 22. 1967 FIG. 2.

FIG. 3.

INVENTORS SOL KRAMER CHARLES GRETZ ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1968 s. KRAMER ETAL COMBINED LATCH AND HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22. 1967 FIG. 5

FIG. 6.

42 INVENToRs son. KRAMER FIG. 9 CHARLES GRETz BY /f/La/wuz/v ATTORNEYUnited States Patent O 3,416,701 COMBINED LATCH AND HANDLE Sol Kramer,Baltimore, Md., and Charles Gretz, Los

Angeles, Calif., assignors to Life-Like Products, Inc., Baltimore, Md.,a corporation of Maryland Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.524,674,

Feb. 3, 1966. This application Nov. 22, 1967, Ser.

14 Claims. (Cl. 220-55) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A combined lid latchand handle is provided for a portable chest, such as a picnic or campingchest, that has a wall structure surmounted by a lid. The devicecomprises a plate with means for attaching it to the wall structurebelow the lid. Extending upwardly from the plate `and integral with itis a relatively narrow strip, the upper end of which is bent inward toform a hook for engaging the lid. The strip is stiffened by alongitudinal ridge and the tip has an enlarged area to engage acorresponding depression of the lid. At the juncture between the stripand the plate a groove is provided dening a hinge line therebypermitting the strip to be hinged into and out of er1- gagement with thelid. Two forms of the invention are described. In one form the plate issimply provided with holes for attaching it to the wall structure byconventional means, such as rivets. In another form, the plate isprovided with tubular projections that t in holes of the wall structure.Grooved studs on another plate are inserted in these tubular projectionsand means are provided for snap engaging the studs with the tubularprojections.'

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application for patent,Ser. No. 524,674, tiled Feb. 3, 1966.

This invention relates to hardware and it is more particularly concernedwith a device for use on a portable chest which combines a lid latchwith a handle for carrying the chest.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a combined latchand handle for a portable chest which can be quickly and easily attachedto a wall of the chest.

Another object is the provision of a combined latch and handle of thetype mentioned which is easily manufactured and lassembled and yet issturdy, strong and not likely to get out of working order.

A still further object is the provision of a combined latch and handleof the type mentioned which can be made completely of a molded plasticmaterial.

These and still further objects, advantages and features of theinvention will appear more fully from the following descriptionconsidered together with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a chest showing one embodimentofthe invention, partly in section.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a fragmentary pori tion of thechest with the embodiment attached.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the same embodiment, apart from the chest.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a second embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a fragmentary portion of the chestwith the second embodiment attached.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Patented Dec. 17, 1968 ICC FIG. 9 is a perspective View of the studplate member apart from the embodiment asa whole.

Referring with more particularly to the drawing in which like numeralsdesignate like parts, the invention is illustrated in connection with anordinary portable picnic chest 11 of, for example, polystyrene foam. Thechest is provided with a lid 12 which may be either completely removableor hinged to a wall of the chest.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises aplate 13 of a plastic material such as polypropylene resin. The plate isprovided with apertures 14 for the reception of rivets 15, for example,to secure it to a wall 16 of the chest below the lid 12. Integral withand projecting upwardly from the plate 13 is a relatively narrow latchstrip 17. At the juncture between the plate 13 and the strip 17 there isdelinated a` groove 18 of sufficient depth to act as a hinge.

A portion of the upper end 19 of the strip 17 is bent inwardly and it isprovided with an enlarged tip 20 which functions as a catch in acorresponding depression 21 of the lid 12. A ridge 22 extends along theouter surface of the strip 17 above the groove 1.8 to add rigidity tothe strip. The inner side of the strip and plate are both smooth andilat.

The plate 13 is also provided with a pair of laterally spaced hollowsemi-cylindrical open ended bosses 23 and 24 on either side for rotaryengaging inwardly projecting cylindrical Shanks 25 and 26 of a U-shapedhandle 27. The tip of the Shanks 25 and 26 extend through inner openings23 and 29 of the bosses 23 and 24, respectively and detents 30 and 31are provided for holding the shanks in place. The handle 27 ispreferably made also of polypropylene resin although other materialsmay, if desired, be used as well, includ-ing aluminum, brass, andothers. A degree of resiliency is required, however, to permit insertionof the shanks in the bosses. Insertion is conveniently done by invertingthe shanks in the bosses through lateral slits 32 and 33 ofthe bosses.

The second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 9 is similar to the rstembodiment except for the holding means. Instead of rivets, or the like,the second embodiment is provided with a group of hollow tubularprojections 34, 35 and 36 which are adapted to t a corresponding groupof apertures 37, 38 and 39, respectively, of a wall 40 of the chest. Theinner ends of the tubular projections are each provided with acircumferentially disposed group of radial segments 41 which are adaptedto snap engage grooved studs 42. These studs are integral with andproject from one side of a plate 43. They are spaced from each other inprecisely the same manner as the apertures 37, 38 Iand 39. By thesemeans the device can be quickly attached to the wall of the chest bysimply disposing the tubular projections 34, 35 and 36 in thecorresponding apertures 37, 38 and 39 on one side of the chest wall andthen placing the plate 43 on the other side with the studs 42 extendinginto the tubular projections. The segments 41 will engage at least oneof the grooves 44 of each stud 42 and thereby hold the entire assemblyin place.

From the above, it will be understood that there is provided arelatively simple device for both latching a lid to the chest and forcarrying the chest about. The device, moreover, is simple to assembleand to mount on the chest by the use of conventional rivets, bolts orother similar holding means, or by the use of a group wall structure ofthe chest below the lid, a strip integral with the plate projectingupward from the top of the plate, said strip having a groove defining ahinge line, the upper end of the strip above the groove being bentinwardly to overlie the lid, a pair of hollow bosses in said plate and aU-shaped handle having inwardly projecting shanks, said shanks beingrotatably disposed in said bosses respectively.

2. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 1 in which thesides of the bosses are open to permit the disposition of the Shankstherein laterally.

3. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 1 in which theupper end of the strip has its tip enlarged to engage a correspondingdepression of the lid.

4. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 1 and alongitudinal stifening ridge on the exterior of the strip.

5. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 1 in which thetips of the shanks extend out through the inner ends of the bosses andare provided with detents against the said inner ends of the bosses forholding them in place relative thereto.

6. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 1 made of aplastic material.

7. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 6 in which theplastic material is polypropylene resin.

8. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 1 in which themeans for securing the plate to the wall structure comprises tubularprojections integral with the plate and extending therefrom, saidtubular projections being adapted for disposition in apertures of thewall structure and studs adapted to be disposed in said tubularprojections, said studs having grooves therein and said tubularprojections having interior means for snap engaging said grooves andholding the shanks in place.

9. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 1 in combinationwith a chest having a wall structure and an overlying lid, said meansfor securing the plate to the wall structure comprising tubularprojections integral with the plate and extending therefrom, said wallstructure having apertures in which said projections are disposed andstuds disposed in said tubular projections, said studs having grooves,said projections having means on the interior thereof snap engaging saidgrooves and holding the studs in place.

10. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 8 in which thestuds are connected and held together on a plate in a spaced relationcorresponding to that of the apertures of the wall structure.

11. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 9 in which thestuds are connected and held together on a plate in a spaced relationcorresponding to that ofthe apertures of the wall structure.

12. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 9 in which agroup of projections are provided in relation to a corresponding groupof studs.

13. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 8 in which eachstud is provided with a series of annular grooves to accommodatedifferent thicknesses of wall structure.

14. A combined lid latch and handle as defined by claim 8 in which themeans for engaging the grooves comprises a group of inwardly projectingresilient segments on the interior of each tubular projection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I AMES B. MARBERT, PrimaryExaminer.

